The present invention relates to field communication distribution equipment, cables for such equipment to increase data throughput of such cables without increasing crosstalk and other interference, and a stackable cable reel for housing, carrying, storing, and transporting the communication distribution equipment and cables.
The J-1077 A/U distribution box (hereinafter referred to simply as the “J-1077”) is used to interconnect military field telephones and other communication devices in mobile, transportable, and semi-permanent installations. The J-1077 has provisions for connection of one or two 26 conductor-pair cables to a set of 26 pairs of spring post connectors mounted on a panel within the box. The standard cable for use with J-1077 type boxes is designated CX-4566 A/G. As such, the J-1077 can interconnect two 26-pair cables or can terminate a single 26-pair cable and provide connections to the conductors within the cable, such as for telephone sets or test equipment. The J-1077 has been in use for several decades and has proved to be generally rugged and reliable in varied field conditions. Additional information about the J-1077 distribution box can be obtained from Associated Industries of North Hollywood, Calif. (www.associated-ind.com) and from other sources.
Although generally successful, the J-1077 has some shortcomings. The configuration of the spring post connectors requires that wires be stripped before insertion into the posts. Stripping sometimes damages some of the strands of a conductor, causing them to break off, thereby reducing the signal carrying capability of the conductor. Stripping is also time-consuming if a large number of connections need to be made at one time.
The J-1077 distribution box and the standard CX-4566 A/G cable were originally designed for carrying multiple channels of audio frequency telephone signals. As stated above, military field communications have evolved beyond voice and teletype communications to high speed data communications for text, numeric, and image data in addition to voice signals. United States military services also make use of an expanded field distribution box or signal distribution panel designated as the J-2317 A/U box (referred to hereinafter simply as the J-2317 box) which has the interconnection capabilities of four J-1077 boxes. The conventional J-2317 box includes four 26-pair cable connectors, designated as connectors A, B, C, and D. Each cable connector terminates at a respective set of binding posts to enable patching of communication devices to 26-pair cables connected to the cable connectors.
Some types of military communication equipment have optical data signal interfaces which utilize optical fiber communication media. Optical data signals have a number of advantages in military applications, including high efficiency over long distances, high data rates, difficulty of tapping by an enemy, and the like. There is also a need for converting signals carried by optical fiber media to electrical data signals for carriage by conventional copper based cables.
A number of shortcomings for the J-1077 and J-2317 boxes have been remedied by the communication equipment disclosed in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,063, U.S. Pat. No. 7,445,520, U.S. Pat. No. 7,625,248, U.S. Pat. No. 7,625,249, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,659; the entire contents of which patents are incorporated herein by reference. Despite the improvements to the communication equipment disclosed in these patents, the distribution box itself retains a generally rectangular overall shape with a hinged door or lid. The box is used in association with a cable that is transported and stored on a reel. Both boxes and reels are transported by stacking in a vehicle or the like. While the shape of the boxes provides reasonably stability during transport, the reels tend to slide off the stack and roll around. Because of the bulk and configurations of the equipment, two persons are generally required to load/unload the separate items during embarking and debarking. There remains, therefore, a need for an improved cable reel that is lighter in weight, stackable, and easy to handle and reel. In addition, there remains a need for a cable reel that incorporates the improved field communication distribution equipment into a single unit that may be transported and deployed by a single person.